The Lost Get Found
by sweetkakes
Summary: In the midst of brokeness, two hearts come together as one in the most unusual way. With many trials and tribulations, only by the glory of God will they make it. Mainly Slexie, mentions of MerDer. - ON HIATUS -
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : I started this story because it hit close to home. I was at church earlier and I thought "Hey, why don't I try something different?" Thus, this story began. I know I've been starting kind of a lot of fics, but I promise I will finish each and every one. Everything that happens in this fic is based on a true story. I hope you enjoy it. Italics will be lyrics.**

Carolyn Shepherd was an amazing woman.

The things she did for her family and friends were undescribable. She had such a big heart, constantly putting everyone before herself.

So that is why, as her casket was being lowered into the ground, Mark Sloan had a billion questions running through his head.

Why her? Why did the shittiest things happen to the best people?

Carolyn was diagnosed with breast cancer the previous year. Unfortunately, the doctors were too late and the diesase had spread rapidly. They tried every treatment they possibly could, but nothing seemed to work.

Over the last months, Mark witnessed the woman he's seen as his own mother quickly deteriorate.

Her hair began falling out and her skin got brittle. The chemo, although it wasn't helping at all, had made her weaker as the days went by.

Despite all their efforts to save her, they just couldn't. And that's why they were all standing here today at Lake View Cemetery.

Growing up, Mark Sloan was abandoned by his parents. Never had he felt ever felt loved or wanted. Until he met his bestfriend, Derek Shepherd in elementary. His family took Mark in and overtime, they grew on him.

Carolyn especially. She was the one who made sure Mark was always more than okay. She was the one who fed him, who read to him, who tucked him in at night and loved him as her own.

Mark thought the world of the older woman. She had made such an impact on his life and he knew he would be forever thankful.

So you can imagine that her death hit him the hardest.

Of course it affected Derek and the rest of her children, but Mark especially.

The service was pretty much done and everyone had already left, but he wanted to reminisce on all the good times they had together.

"Come on guys, I wanna show you some place."

Meredith Grey was Derek's girlfriend. They had been together for almost 8 years and still no proposal. They were content with what they had with one another, and didn't want to change a thing.

"Where are we going?" Derek questioned.

She just kept quiet as Mark and Derek piled into the car. The drive was relatively quiet, only the sound of the soft radio playing.

Maybe not even 15 minutes later, she pulled up at Lake City Christian Church.

Mark was confused. What were they doing at church?

He never took Meredith as a religious person but if he learned something about woman, it was that they all had their secrets.

"My sister leads the worship team here and asked if I could stop by. I haven't seen her in years, and I thought you guys would like to come along."

Carolyn Shepherd was a God-fearing woman. Every Sunday, she took her family to a nearby church and praised the Lord.

Her children were always taught to give thanks before every meal, and pray every night before going to bed.

Mark, of course, believed in his own way. But he never thought anything of it. He just thought God was someone who was made up to make everyone feel better about their miserable lives. He didn't believe in miracles, just dog-luck.

Derek gave no hesitation to walk in next to Meredith, but Mark was a little more closed-off.

Maybe he would just sit through this service and be on his way. Go to the bar tonight, take home a random woman, have meaningless sex, and forget her the next day.

He needed something to take away the pain and he wasn't too sure a church service was gonna do it. It probably wasn't gonna do anything but put him to sleep.

As the three walked in, Mark noticed it was crowded. The only seats that were available were in the very back. It seemed as if everyone was were in the middle of something, since many hands were extended upwards to the roof while they hummed softly to themselves.

The group made their way to the back, and that's when Mark let an angelic sound fill his ears.

He looked up to the front to see a beautiful young woman holding the mic and letting her voice fill the room. She was thin, brunette hair that went past her breast, and had a nice figure. He assumed she had a nice ass.

"That's Meredith's sister, Lexie." Derek whispered to him.

She was ravishing and her voice was all the better.

 _Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders_

 _Let me walk upon the waters_

 _Wherever You would call me.._

 _Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander_

 _And my faith will be made stronger_

 _In the presence of my Savior.._

Mark noticed the song as one of the many Carolyn sang him to sleep. He remembered loving everytime she did.

Lexie was absolutely breathtaking. The more he looked at her, the more he grew attracted.

Little did he know, she'd become the love of his life.

 **A/N : Next chapter will be them meeting and Lexie's story about why she joined the church. This story may get very dark and religious..and I just wanna warn you folks now. Thank you for reading, please review and let me know how yall feel.**


	2. Chapter 2

As the song came to an end, everyone began clapping before Lexie cleared her throat.

"We've all made mistakes in our life. No one's perfect. But this next song is one of my favorites, lemme just share a lil' bit about it. Y'know, most of you know my story, why I'm in the church. And uh..this song was one of the few that really spoke to me. I remember first hearing it with Pastor John and tears immediately began streaming down my face and he told me "Lexie, let me paint a picture for you."

She took a deep breath before continuing.

"He explained how in John 8 when Jesus was writing in the sand, the prophecies bought in this adulterous woman. And they were telling him "Jesus, are you gonna stone her? You gotta stone her!" And according to the law, that's what He was supposed to do. But what Jesus did next was the most shocking thing ever...He extended grace to her. And I-I just recognized a place when I deserved the worst..and God just completely ransomed me. With my dirty hands, He just washed me white." her voice started to crack.

"In my sin and in my shame, He fought for me. He plead my cause..and um...it just really humbled me as I listened to this song. So, I hope you enjoy it."

Mark was blown away by her speech and listened as the song came on and she started to sing. The whole church erupted in cheers and stood up, beginning to worship along.

 _I am guilty_

 _Ashamed of what I've done, what I've become_

 _These hands are dirty_

 _I dare not lift them up to the Holy One_

 _You plead my cause, You right my wrongs_

 _You break my chains, You overcome_

 _You gave your life, to give me mine_

 _You say that I am free_

 _How can it be?_

 _How can it be?_

He saw the hurt and all the emtion in her face when singing, and even from the very back he seen her eyes start to glisten.

 _I've been hiding_

 _Afraid I've let You down_

 _Inside I doubt, that You still love me_

 _But in Your eyes, there's only grace now_

Her tone began to pick up.

 _You plead my cause, You right my wrongs_

 _You break my chains, You overcome_

 _You gave your life, to give me mine_

 _You say that I am free_

 _How can it be?_

 _How can it be?_

Lexie was now singing with tears rolling down her face, with her free hand extending up to the sky and singing more powerful than ever.

 _Though I fall, You can make me new_

F _rom this death, I will rise with You_

 _Oh, the grace reaching out for me_

 _How can it be, how can it be?_

 _You plead my cause, You right my wrongs_

 _You break my chains, You overcome_

 _You gave your life, to give me mine_

 _You say that I am free_

 _You plead my cause, You right my wrongs_

 _You break my chains, You overcome_

 _You gave your life, to give me mine_

 _You say that I am free_

 _How can it be?_

 _How can it be?_

As the song ended, Mark looked over to Meredith to see she was crying..for her sister. Whatever happened with Lexie had to be serious, because Derek was tearing too...

And so was everyone else in that church.

Maybe everyone was just hurting.

Her voice was perfect when she sang and he couldn't help but want to hear her again.

He looked back up to the front and saw that she was hunched over sobbing. Then, she started praying.

"Lord, I pray that you comfort the hurting people in this room right now. Some of us are hurting physically, some of us are hurting emotionally. I lift up my brothers and sisters surrounding this room, Father God and I just ask that you let them feel your unconditional love. Pour your love over them Father, for they need it. Forgive us for our horrible choices, for we all made mistakes we can't erase. You said in 1 John 1:9 that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us for our sins amd purify us from all unrighteouness." God, you are faithful to pick up where we fall short. You fill in the blanks, so to speak and when we surrender completely to you, we realize that there are a lot of blanks. You also said in Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." May you wrap your loving arms and those who need it and comfort them. May your Holy Spirit annoint them. Reveal to them their worth and remind them of their purpose. Mend their brokeness and be glorified through their hurt. In Jesus name, AMEN."

An "Amen" was heard all across the room and Mark felt like the breath had been knocked out right from under him.

Lexie then excused herself and a short service was held about forgiveness..but all Mark wanted to do was see her again.

Maybe an hour later after the service was over, Meredith mentioned that she was going to look for her sister.

"So, how was it?" Derek asked as his girlfriend stepped away.

He was somewhat religious but exactly as Mark, he believed in his own way.

He shrugged. "It was alright. Mer's sister can sing though."

And it was true, she definitely could.

"She's been through alot y'know.." Derek trailed off.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed and then picked up where he left off.

"Meredith and Lexie have the same father, Thatcher. He left Ellis, Meredith's mom, for Lexie's, Susan. When Thatcher started a family with Susan, he also started using drugs. Soon he was a drug addict. Lexie wasn't a drug baby though...it all started after she was born. As the years went on, it got worst. When Lexie was 12, Thatcher started abusing them and Susan became a victim of a domestic-violence relationship. Of course, they always tried to leave..they even stayed at a few shelters. But Susan felt so sorry for Thatcher so she stayed with him. Until one night, he started touching Lexie inappropriately. She never said anything because he threatened to kill Susan if she did. Anyway, when Lexie was 15 she got pregnant with his baby. That's when she told her mom and everything blew up. Lexie got an abortion, Susan officially left Thatcher and they moved. I don't know how, but Thatcher found them and shot Susan. She died right in front of Lexie. Of course Thatcher went to prison, but Lexie was bounced around from foster homes until she reached 18. She enrolled herself into med school with her trust fund and Susans' leftover financials. Couple years after that, she started hanging around the wrong people and got heavy into drugs, too. It got so bad, she almost overdosed and killed herself. Her and Meredith eventually got into contact with one another, and we've been helping her stay clean ever since. She lived in California for a few years, then came out to Washington. She was supposed to start her intern year at Seattle Grace last year, but instead she's part of the upcoming group this year. She's been through a lot that girl..and that's why my heart goes out to her."

Mark was shocked. He had never heard such a heartbreaking story before..and with her own dad touching her? That must've been horrible. He couldn't possibly imagine what she went through.

When he was snapped back to reality, he noticed Meredith had came back with Lexie.

"Guys, this is my sister Lexie." she presented.

"Hey!" she smiled as she hugged Derek.

She held out her hand for Mark. "And you are...?"

"Mark." he stated. "Mark Sloan."

"Lexie." she smiled. "Lexie Grey."

He took this time to get a good look at her since she was so close. She had big doe brown eyes and a few hardly noticeable freckles at the top of her cheeks. Her teeth were straight and her hair looked silky. Even her ass was nice.

She was all around perfect.

"So, I invited Lexie to come have dinner with us..." Meredith quipped, interrupting Marks' thoughts.

"That okay?" Lexie questioned when she saw the unreadable look his face.

"Oh yeah! No problem" he replied quickly, even adding in a smirk.

Ever since Carolyn passed, Mark had been staying with Derek and Meredith in their home. Derek had built the perfect dream house for both of them. They didn't mind one bit, though. Mark was family and family to the meant "noone gets left behind or forgotten."

She nodded and smiled at him.

 _God, she was so beautiful._

But she was also too good for him.

Mark Sloan was a manwhore..that's all he'd ever been. And he believed that was all he'd ever be.

 **A/N: Like I said, this story will get a very religious. Thank you for you kind reviews:) I hope you like this update...until next time!**

 **BTW- song is How Can It Be by Lauren Daigle.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N : Hey guys! First off, I just wanted to say I am SO sorry for this overdue update. I was meaning to upload this a while back and for some reason, I never did. Fortunately, I will be posting and updating more often with this and my two other fics as well. Thank you for all your kind and honest reviews. I'm glad you like it!**

Later that night when Lexie arrived, she and Meredith went to the store to buy the needed ingredients for the dinner they were preparing to cook.

Mark and Derek were back at the house setting the table and whatnot.

They had a big dining room, with a table that was perfectly seated for four. Hardly anyone ever came over, not even Derek's sisters. So a four man table was perfect for just him, Meredith, and Mark.

An hour later, Mark was in the kitchen when he heard the front door and Lexie appeared.

She was dressed in a white, elegant belted shift dress that stopped right above her knees that was accesorized with white strappy heels. Her hair was flowing down her shoulders in what he assumed was natural curls, which sculpted her face perfectly. He could tell she didn't apply much make up except for a nude lip stick but he didn't mind because she was already absolutely breathtaking.

"Hey! Sorry we're so late, Mer couldn't decide what type of onions she wanted." she said as she walked pass him, carrying two grocery bags.

"No problem. Derek and I were just watching the game."

"Seahawks?"

"You a fan?" he asked.

"Nah." she said, "I'm more of a Cowboys girl."

"Dallas?!" Mark shook his head in amusement. "Oh no, this is bad."

She gave him a questioning look.

"You can't possibly be a Cowboy's fan."

"But I am." she shruged her shoulders, "I've been my whole life."

"Besides," she added "Tony Romo is way better than your sorry excuse of Russell Wilson."

Mark laughed. "At least we made it to the Super Bowl last year!"

"And you still lost" she winked.

They argued for a good ten minutes before Meredith finally came inside and started dinner.

"Alright children! Calm down!"

The rest of the night went on as such; Mark and Lexie going back and forth with one another about their football teams.

All in all, it was a great evening filled with a ton of smiles and laughter.

...

Dinner ended around 9:30 PM when Lexie announced it would be best if she was on her way home. It was storming outside, not that it surprised any of them. Seattle was notorious for their rainy weather conditions that only ever left them with maybe a day or two of sunshine throughout the year. But unlike many other nights, there was thunder and lightning.

"You sure you okay to go home?" Derek asked her after they were done cleaning. "You're more than welcome to stay."

"Oh it's okay" Lexie shook her head, "I don't wanna be a burden. And besides, I kinda have to be back at a certain time.."

"What, you got a curfew or somethin'?" Mark joked.

Lexie just gave a small smile and walked in the kitchen.

"Hey Mer, I'm gonna get going. Thank you for tonight!"

"Anytime Lex. We should do it again sometime!"

She smiled and hugged her.

"You can stay if you want.." Meredith offered. "I really don't feel comfortable letting you drive in this weather."

Lexie looked down at the floor then back up towards her sister.

"I-I kinda have to be back..or else I'll get kicked out..."

"Kicked out?" Meredith questioned. "Why would you get kicked out?"

Lexie knew this would come up sooner or later. She just preferred later.

"Uh- I-I kinda live in a..homeless shelter.."

Meredith's eyes widened in surprise.

"Lexie.."

"A-And that's why I need to be back. Before 10, actually or my bunk gets passed on to someone else."

"Why didn't you tell me, Lex?"

"And then what? It's hard enough as it is, Meredith." she said exasperatedly. "I couldn't afford my own place after my mom passed, I had used all my funds on college. So I was basically homeless before a friend of mine from the church got me a spot at the shelter. I've been there for almost a year. I know it's not ideal but it's all I have right now."

"Where's all your things?" Meredith asked when she finally found her voice.

"I don't have much, so I leave my clothes in my car."

"Lexie, it doesn't have to be like this. You can always come stay with us!"

"You guys already have Mark and I don't wanna interfere. Besides, I start my internship soon..I can always just sleep in the oncall rooms they have."

"Nope." Meredith shook her head "I won't allow it. You are staying with us until you get back on your feet, I don't wanna hear it."

She was adamant with helping her family. After her mother died, Meredith shut everyone out. She then met Derek and he changed her for the better. She was more open minded about things and always wanted what was best for her loved ones. Although her and Lexie didn't have the best relationship, she was willing to try because she loved her sister.

Before Lexie could protest, Meredith grabbed her car keys and began walking to the door.

"I'm gonna take you to grab whatever you have left at that place, then we're gonna go shopping for some necesseties. Soap, toothpaste, what not. Then, we're going to grab some beddings. We have a few extra rooms upstairs but the beds don't have any sheets. When we get back, you can decide which one you want. Each is furnished with a bathroom so you will have your privacy."

Lexie looked shocked that the woman before her was able to fit all of that into what sounded like only a sentence.

"I don't want you to pity me, Mer. Thank you but-"

"I said I didn't want to hear it." she told her, looking at her sternly.

With her hand on the door knob, she turned to face the younger of the two.

"You comin'?"

...

On the way to the store, Meredith texted Derek to let him know the situation. He had no problem letting Lexie move in with them..in fact he was pretty excited. This way his girlfriend would have someone to talk to when he wasn't there.

Even if she and Lexie were estranged, Derek knew that she loved her sister in her own way. A way he wasn't able to understand. After getting ready for bed, he walked downstairs to find Mark on the couch watching some action movie.

"Ya' hear the news?"

Mark, who was nursing a beer, looked at his best friend in confusion. "What news?"

"Lexie" he said matter-of-factly, "she's moving in."

Mark almost spit out his beer. "Really?"

"Yes, and I don't want you to toy with her."

"Toy with her?"

"You know.. _do what you do_."

The man on the couch almost laughed. "Oh don't worry Shepherd, I don't go for woman who has as much baggage as Lexie does."

What he didn't know was that Meredith and Lexie had just walked in the door when they heard him say that.

Derek cleared his throat before going towards his girlfriend and pulling her into the other room before she said something she'd say something she'd regret.

Mark turned around to see what he had cleared his throat about and saw the two sisters in the door way. Meredith looked pissed, while Lexie, who didn't really show it, seemed hurt.

Lexie just raised her eyebrows at him in shock.

His face dropped. He only said that because he didn't want Derek getting suspicious. The truth is, he didn't care about Lexie's past. She was beautiful inside and out, despite what she had been through. In fact, he thought she was pretty damn strong for being able to get through it all without going crazy.

With the packages in her hand, Lexie walked up the stairs without once looking back at him. Mark ran a hand down his face and laid back on the couch.

Once again, he fucked up.

 **A/N : Sorry if it was a little rushed. I know it wasn't as deep as the other chapters, but I'm trying to introduce the M/L relationship sooner rather than later. The next update should be in a few days..keep an eye out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Please read the AN at the end.**

The next morning was anything but awkward.

When Mark came downstairs, he found Lexie cooking breakfast and serving it on three seperate plates. Derek already left for work so it was just Mark, Lexie, and Meredith left.

When Lexie saw him standing in the kitchen entrance, she smiled and waved him over to come join. Mark grabbed his plate and made a cup of orange juice before sitting across from the hungry Grey sister. Meredith was dressed in her scrubs, scarfing down her food.

"This is so good Lex." Meredith complimented. "I get off at eight tonight, so I'll be home just in time to start dinner." She began getting up and putting her dishes in the sink.

"Nonsense!" Lexie chimed. "I have no problem making dinner. You folks have done enough for me, I'll cook."

Her sister smiled gratefully before grabbing her keys off the counter. Kissing Lexie's cheek bye and giving Mark a curt nod, she was out the door.

The house was then silent with the occasional dinging of the untensils Lexie was using, or the sips Mark took from his cup. It was she who broke the silence.

"So, what time do you go in today?" she wondered. She was grabbing her plate while making her way over to the dining table, taking her sisters previously occupied seat across from him.

"U-Uh I-I don't."

Lexie nodded her head before taking a bite into her waffle.

Mark didn't really know what to say. What _could_ he say? She was acting as if nothing happened the night before.

"W-When do you start your internship?" He wondered when the new batch of interns would come in.

"Tuesday." she quipped. Today was Monday, so one more day.

A few minutes later, Lexie got up to wash her dishes. She asked him if he was done but Mark volunteered to help her instead. He decided it was now or never to get down to what was really bothering him.

"Why didn't you say anything last night? After I- y'know.."

Lexie looked up at him before placing the dishes in the sink. She turned on the faucet and began rinsing all the left over junk, while Mark began soaping up the sponge to start scrubbing.

"What could I have said?" she started, "I'm used to it."

Mark was silent until she handed him the first dish to start scrubbing.

"Used to what?" he inquired.

"People thinking I'm a freak, being an outsider. It's normal."

"Lexie, I didn't-"

"It's fine Mark, really." she sympathized, "I come with a lot of baggage as is."

"Can I tell you something?" he asked. She looked at him curiously, signaling to continue.

"Despite everything you heard last night, I think you're the strongest person I've come to meet."

"How'd you know?"

"Know what?" he pushed.

"My story."

"Oh. I-uh, you see-"

"Mark.." she began.

He sighed. "Derek."

She nodded once more, returning to her dishes.

"Please don't be upset, he just-"

"I'm not upset." she chuckled. It was genuine.

"You're not?"

"No." she shook her head, "No matter what, I'm not ashamed of my past. It's made me the person I am today, that of which I am damn proud of."

He smiled and grinned even wider when he noticed how easy their conversation was flowing. They got into the habit of Lexie rinsing, Mark scrubbing, then Lexie rinsing again and Mark towel drying the dishes.

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke once more.

"I really am sorry though, Lexie."

She shrugged. "It's fine. Like I said, with the baggage I come with it's not surprising."

"It doesn't matter, you didn't deserve that."

She looked up at him and smiled. "It's fine, really. I forgive you."

Mark was slightly concerned.

"That's it? You aren't going to cuss or yell?"

Lexie put down the fork she was rinsing before fully turning her body to face him.

"I learned that forgiveness is a choice. I can either revel in the fact that you basically called me a charity case last night, be angry, and most likely call you ever swear word in the book. Or, I can forgive you and move forward. We're gonna be living together, Mark and I refuse for you and I to be living in the discomfort of dancing around each other."

Mark was taken aback and slightly amused.

"You are so much different from Mer."

"Oh?"

"So much. If the roles were reversed, and this was Meredith and Derek in an arguement, he would be on the couch for a good week."

"But we aren't in an arguement.." Lexie quipped.

"I know, just saying though."

It was silent again before the dishes were done and they were left wiping the table and counters.

"I really am sorry."

Lexie gave him a playful death glare, meaning she understood and he needed to knock it off.

"Friends?" he held out his hand.

 _God, that was so lame_ , he thought to himself.

"Friends." Lexie smiled and shook his hand as well.

"Lexie Grey, this is the beginning to what I _know_ will be a beautiful friendship."

 **A/N : Like I mentioned in my last authors note on my other fic, thank you guys for being so patient. I know it gets fustrating when an author doesn't update for a while because trust me, I feel the same way. But I really wanna take the time to thank each and every single one of you for all your continued love and support with my stories, especially this one. I didn't know how the storyline would turn out with the acceptance of everyone, but so far so good. If you haven't already read, my uncle recently passed away from cardiomyapathy, hear muscle diesase, and my family has been taking it hard. Along with his passing and writers block, that it why this fic has taken quite a while to update. I hope this new chapter was somewhat satisfying. I will not leave any of my fics unfinished, I can promise you that. Again, thank you so much for everything. I love y'all. See you next time :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N : I made a mistake in my last chapter.**

Tuesday morning came faster than usual. Everyone was up bright and early at 5:30. Meredith was the first one up and she had the curtosey to make coffee, for which Mark and Derek were nonetheless happy about.

Lexie came down around 5:50 in her light blue scrubs that Chief Webber gave each intern at the orentation.

"Did you guys find out who was your chief resident was?" Meredith piped.

Lexie nodded. "I have..." she mused while she looked down at her paper, "Dr. George O'Malley."

Derek and Mark scoffed and Meredith rolled her eyes.

"What?" Lexie asked. She was genuinely confused.

"He's the hospitals second place manwhore..besides Mark who takes first." Derek informed.

Mark sat there and nudged Derek with his elbow. He didn't want Lexie knowing about his countless women although he was pretty sure Meredith already warned her.

"Dammit, I really wish you were assigned to me" Mer pouted, "but I guess they seen both our last names Grey and decided against it."

"Dangit!" Lexie laughed.

Mark chuckled at the fact Lexie didn't swear. "So we all ready to go?"

...

Arriving at the hospital was one thing. Lexie and Mark were in the backseat with her animatedly chatting with him and he laughing at her perculiar outbursts. Meredith and Derek were in the front seat, with man behind the wheel and his hands intwined with hers.

Getting out of the SUV, everyone made their way towards the front desk where all the other new interns, chief residents, and attendings were waiting. Chief Richard Webber was calling out the chief residents.

Lexie already knew who she got, but others didn't so she waited patiently until she was called and went to stand behind Dr. O'Malley.

He was a somewhat tall, handsome man. He took the role of having a bad boy exterior but Lexie knew better.

"You Meredith's sister?" he asked with his chest puffed out. If he was trying to be attractive, it wasn't working.

"Yes." Lexie replied. "I am."

Dr. O'Malley smirked. "Lexie, isn't it?" She nodded. "You're pretty hot to be related to Meredith Grey. Almost too hot. It's a shame she didn't get your looks."

"I believe my sister is beautiful in her own natural way, and shame on you for thinking otherwise." she threw back at him.

He scoffed. "Whatever, let's go. We're wasting time."

...

After spending all day in the pit due to a huge trauma, a ferry boat crash, Lexie was beyond exhausted. Dr. O'Malley assigned her to general surgery where she met Miranda Bailey. Dr. Bailey, or as everyone else referred to her as; the Nazi, was very persistent. She wanted things done her way and no other way. She was extremely adamant and everything that went on around her needed to be finished perfectly.

After spending the day with her, Lexie now knew why she was named Nazi.

Lexie was texted to meet her sister them in the lobby for a ride home, but due to Dr. Bailey's adamant attitude she was unable to do such. She replied that she was needed to stay later, and Meredith said she'd be back to pick her up when she was ready.

It was past midnight when Lexie was finally finished and many doctors were still there.

"Hey, the rest of your group left. Why are you still here?"

A perky blonde doctor came up from behind. Lexie noticed it was Dr. Arizona Robbins whom she befriended earlier that day during lunch. It started when Dr. Robbins confessed she knew what it felt like to be new, as she had too been fresh out the week before. They talked for a while before both being paged to the pit.

"I was assigned to Dr. Bailey today and her last surgery only finished now."

"Oh you poor thing. I would totally offer to give you a ride home, but I just got called into an emergency surgery."

"It's fine." Lexie flicked her hand and shook her head, "I can just call my sister."

Arizona's paged beeped. "I'm so sorry Lexie, I'll see you tomorrow though!" Before she knew it, Dr. Robbins was in a full sprint towards the operation room.

Lexie walked around a little while longer, signing out and changing before she bumped into a familiar brooding body.

"Oh, I'm s-"

"Watch where you're going, Grey."

It was none other than Dr. George O'Malley himself smirking and looking down on her.

"So sorry, Dr. O'Malley."

He laughed. "Where you off to?"

"Home." Lexie sighed, "I just have to let my sister know."

"Nonsense. No need to bother her when I have a perfectly good car outside that I have no problem taking you home in."

"Are you..offering to take me home?"

"Well I ain't offering you a one night stand, that's for sure."

"Okay..okay, thanks." Lexie smiled. He could be annoying as hell but at least she had a way home.

"I'll lead the way." He grinned at her.

...

The car ride itself was relatively quiet. After punching in her address into the GPS, George was constantly trying to make conversation and Lexie was meekly responding. He had many questions and she had little answers. All too soon, he pulled up to her sisters house. The lights were still on which meant someone was still up.

Lexie turned to face him. "Thank you for the ride Dr. O'Malley, I really appreciate it."

"Please, call me George."

"O-okay, _George_. Then please, call me Lexie. And thank you."

"It was really no problem, Lexie."

She gave him a grateful smile and just as she was about to open the door to exit, his hand was on her thigh.

"Would you..like to go to dinner tomorrow night?"

Lexie was flustered. She was constantly asked to dinner or to grab a drink with other men, but with her _chief resident_...that was a different story. It was obvious that Dr. O'Malley was very handsome, she just didn't know if it'd be the right thing to do.

"Oh, um..I don't know if that'd be very uh...professional."

"Seattle Grace is anything but professional, sweetheart. Just think about it." George winked and kissed her cheek. Lexie gave a small nod and smile, and opened the car door.

"Have a good night, Dr.O- George."

"You too, Lexie."

Lexie walked to the front door and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

Using her key to open the door, she was greeted with the smell of meatloaf burning and her sister's shrieking.

"Oh my God, Derek look what you did!"

Making her way into the kitchen, Lexie saw Derek with kitchen muffs and a burnt piece of meat in a pan on the counter looking very..charcoal. Meredith looked like she was about to cry and Mark was trying to stifle a laugh. No one noticed she walked through until she cleared her throat. Everyone looked up at her at once.

"How'd you get home?" Meredith was the first to open her mouth. "I didn't get any calls from you."

"Oh it's fine, Ge-Dr. O'Malley gave me a ride home."

"George?" Mark asked confused.

"Yes." she nodded, "He told me I shouldn't bother you guys and he gave me a ride. He also asked me to dinner but I'm not sure..."Lexie finished off chuckling but everyone else's facial expressions silently suggested it wasn't funny.

"Are..are you going to?" Mark asked.

Lexie and Mark had become close within the past couple days of their incident. They were almost like bestfriends..he told her everything, and she did the same. For the most part at least.

"I'm thinking about it. I mean, I want to remain professional as possible."

Mark nodded his head and made his way into the living room. He gestured for Lexie to follow him and when she did, he plopped down on the couch and patted a seat next to him for her to take.

"I just want you to be careful, Lex."

"I will, Mark. Thank you though." She patted his hand and leaned her head on his shoulder.

They sat like that for a while before Meredith came in to let them know their late dinner was re-ready.

...

After dinner and cleaning up, Lexie was washing up in the main bathroom when Mark walked pass. When she saw him, she smiled.

"You going to sleep?"

He nodded. "Yeah, early day tomorrow."

Lexie grinned. "Goodnight, Mark."

"Night, Lex." He gave her a common wink and was on his way.

Mark walked back to his room, shirtless and only had sweatpants on. He climbed on his king sized bed and stared up at the ceiling with his arm behind his head. He wondered what Lexie thought of him; whether she was slightly attracted or only saw him as a brother. Even if there was a small chance she was wooed by him, it was better than nothing.

Mark reached over to turn his light off when he saw a box of condoms on the nightstand. That's when he noticed he hadn't brought anyone home since meeting Lexie, nor had he slept with anyone.

It was weird but even if they weren't together whatsoever, Mark felt like he if he did, he would be _cheating_ on her. Within the past few days of getting close, they'd learn so much about one another. He told her Derek told him what happened and she seemed fine, then he gave her a brief and subtle half story on why his parents weren't involved; because she asked.

He grinned and put the condoms in an empty drawer.

 _Won't be needing those anytime soon_ , he thought.

 **A/N ; I know it's not very "spiritual" or doesn't have the churchy feeling to it anymore, but Lexie's spirituality will be focused on a lot more in the upcoming chapters. Forgive me for making George out to be the bad guy. It was originally supposed to be Alex, but I decided against it because I love Jolex too much. Let me know how you liked this update - until next time. XO**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N : I know George must seem really out of character but like I mentioned before, I needed a prick for this story and I didn't have the heart to make it Alex Karev. So..for all you George O'Malley lovers, I'M SORRY!**

The next day after everyone was done with their shifts, Lexie began getting ready. Meredith and she ended up leaving the hospital early while Derek and Mark got stuck in yet another prolonged surgery.

It was around seven thirty before there was a knock on the door. Meredith was the one who answered it.

"George." she greeted coldly..

"Meredith."

George was dressed in dark jeans with a black button up dress shirt. In one had he was holding his keys and the other a bouqet of red roses, at least a dozen.

"Lexie, he's here!"

A few minutes later Lexie came down the stairs looking beautiful in her casual turquoise dress, that was complimented with a small brown belt that went around her waist and brown strappy heels. Her hair was curled at the ends and she had very little makeup on.

"You're beautiful." George complimented her while he gave her the flowers.

"Thank you.." Lexie gave him a small smile.

"Ready?" he asked, as he held out an arm. Lexie slightly nodded and looked back once at Mer, smiling and heading out.

...

The date turned out nothing like Lexie planned.

Modestly, she assumed he would take her to dinner and maybe a movie if it wasn't too late. Then he'd drop her back off at home, give her a peck on the cheek, and be on his way. The typical clichè first date.

Boy, was she wrong.

Instead of doing it the old-fashioned way, George insisted on going out to a bar that was on the outskirts of town. In Lexie's opinion, it was extremely run down. The walls were dented, paint was coming off, the alcohol you could tell without even tasting it looked bad, the furniture was oudated, and the place all together smelt terrible. But despite all it's obvious flaws, it was also very crowded.

 _Lily's_ was packed with all different kinds of people. The obnoxious ones, the "I can't handle my alcohol" ones, the "I get emotional when I'm drunk", the "my boyfriend/girlfriend is being an ass and I'm bad with coping with my anger" people. All types of personalities were in the bar tonight and all Lexie wanted to do was go home.

She and George were sitting on the bar stools next to the counter. He was getting his drinks while Lexie was casually sipping on ginger ale.

The DJ then started playing upbeat hip hop and all the groups made their way to the small dance floor that was included within the space. George tugged Lexie's hand and brought her with him. She was feeling extremely uncomfortable in her situation, consider she was a recovering alcoholic. Not that anyone really knew, except maybe her housemates but that was about it.

They were dancing when things started to get a little heated. Lexoe was casually dancing, but George wanted to pick things up. He grabbed her from behind and slammed his waist on his. He started moving fast and digging his erection to her behind. Lexie began to get uncomfortable and tried politely walking away, but George's grip was firm. His hand began snaking up her dress and that's when Lexie had enough.

"Stop!" she cried out.

"C'mon babes, just one time.." he grabbed her from behind and kissed her hard. Lexie struggled to get away and pushed him back.

"I said no!"

"And I'm saying yes!" George made a beeline for her again but Lexie kick him a good hard one in his goods, grabbed her things, and quickly left.

Once she was outside, she let the tears fall. This was reminding her too much of her past. Everything she's worked so hard trying to forget, it was all coming back for her.

George O'Malley brought back all the memories Lexie Grey never wanted to remember.

...

Instead of asking someone for a ride, Lexie decided she'd walk back to Meredith's. It would give her the air she needed to calm herself and hopefully a clear mind.

During the walk, she thought about everything that happened that brought her to this moment. The good never did outweigh the bad and it became too much. The tears kept falling and the sobs got loud. After twenty minutes, Lexie was finally home and she immediately ran into the house, up the stairs, and into her room.

When Mark, who had just gotten home after a long day and was making a quick dinner, heard the door slam he rushed out to the foyer. No one else was home but he since Meredith and Derek were still on-call with the trauma that came in earlier.

He made his way up the stairs when he heard sniffles and soft whimpering coming from Lexie's room.

He knocked and heard a barley audible "come in".

Slowly and carefully opening the door, he found Lexie curled up in the middle of her bed with her knees under her chin.

"Lex, what's wrong?"

She turned around and he saw the mascara running down her face.

"H-he t-tr" she tried getting the words out but it was even harder for her to form. Mark obviously understood, somewhat.

"He..?"

"He tried forcing himself on me!"

Mark's jaw dropped to the floor and Lexie continue to sob.

It was so much more than anger that he was feeling within. It was disgust, repulsion, loathing..all mixed in one. Mark was about to once again act out based upon his feelings until he felt a soft hand atop his.

"You have that look in your eye."

"What look?"

"When you wanna kill someone." she joked.

He gave her a small smile. She was still sniffling and her breathing was uneven, but Mark pulled her into his arms and stroked her back. Lexie began calming down, slowly but surely.

Lexie leaned into him and Mark slowly layed back on the bed, gently running his fingers through her hair to soothe the feeling. She was curled up by his chest and Mark's chin rested atop her head.

"Shhh..." he calmed her. "You're okay, Lex..."

"T-Thank y-you, Mark."

"Anytime, sweetheart."

Lexie turned in bed so her back was facing him. As soon as her breathing began to calm down, Mark assumed she was asleep, kissed her forehead, and untangled himself.

"No, stay with me...please?" she told him as she pulled back his arm to her waist.

"Okay." he gave her a small smile.

Mark pulled back the beddings and wrapped themselves up. Lexie leaned back into his bare chest as Mark wrapped his arm protectively around her waist.

"Goodnight, Lex."

She gave his hand a small squeeze. "Goodnight, Mark."

 **A/N : Kinda rushed, I know - sorry! Like I mentioned before, Lexie's spirituality will be focused on a lot more during the upcoming chapters. Don't fret thought, Slexie will be endgame - it's always better that way. But it's a beautiful upbringing friendship :) Til next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER : Nothing belongs to me except the storyline.**

Throughout the rest of the week, George had tried apologizing to Lexie numerous times but she just wasn't having it. He'd constantly request for her just to talk, but Mark would always beat him to it. Lexie spent most of her days on Mark's service or Derek's, but never anyone elses.

After that night when Meredith and Derek came home, Lexie told them the next morning. Derek was disgusted and Meredith was furious. She went to work that day letting everyone and everything know how much of a dirty pig George O'Malley was. Before then, he was a pretty well-respected person but now it was like he was a piece of dirt. Granted, all the women knew how much of a pig he was considering how he is a manwhore. But of course, that never stopped anyone.

Time flew by so fast that before any of them knew it, it was Sunday morning which meant church.

Meredith started to make it a habit to take off Sundays, at least during the morning to go to the service. Derek did the same as well did Mark. Mostly he was just going for Lexie.

Lexie had left earlier to help prepare and set up. She usually had song practice with the worship team Saturday nights and early Sunday mornings right before the service started.

Meredith, Derek, and Mark were for once on time. It started at nine and they were already grabbing their seats at 8:45 making sure to sit in the front this time.

Within the past fifteen minutes, the sancturary began to fill up and Mark knew well enough it was crazy crowded. Sure enough when he turned around, he scanned the overflooded room. It was amazing how many people woke up for a church service this early.

A soft voice pulled him from his distractions and when he turned back around to face the front, he saw Lexie. She was standing in the front near the podium with a dark blue long sleeved dress that fell above her knees, that she paired with her black pumps. Her medium lengthed hair was cascading down in her natural curls and Mark could barely tell, but did, that she applied neutral make up. She was absolutely beautiful.

They hadn't really talked since the incident. They did, but Mark knew she never fully opened up to him about how she truly felt about all of it. Lexie managed to keep conversations to a minimum, only talking to him when needed or when he tried talking to her. Other than that, she did what she needed to do and that was that.

Mark knew that inside, she was hurting.

"I just wanna thank you all for being out here this early. I understand that some people aren't morning lovers..I'm one of them." The crowd let out a little laughter. "Anyway," she continued "we're gonna start this morning off with a little worship, so if you will please stand and sing along if you know the words."

Everyone stood and a soft tune started to play.

"This is for the ones who are hurting and struggling, and feeling alone." Lexie started. "This is for you.."

 _I remember the moment, I remember the pain_

 _I was only a girl but I grew up that day_

 _Tears were falling, I know You saw me_

 _Hiding there in my bedroom, so alone_

 _I was doing my best, trying to be strong_

 _No one to turn to, that's when I met You_

 _All this time, from the first tear cried_

 _To today's sunrise, and every single moment between_

 _You were there, You were always there_

 _It was You and I_

 _You've been walking with me all this time_

 _Ooh, oh, oohh_

 _Ooh, oh, oohh_

 _You've been walking with me all this time_

 _Ever since that day, it's been clear to me_

 _That no matter what comes, You will never leave_

 _I know You're for me, and You're restoring_

 _Every heartache and failure, every broken dream_

 _You're the God who sees, the God who rescued me_

 _This is my story, this is my story_

 _All this time, from the first tear cried_

 _To today's sunrise, and every single moment between_

 _You were there, You were always there_

 _It was You and I_

 _You've been walking with me all this time_

 _Ooh, oh, oohh_

 _Ooh, oh, oohh_

 _You've been walking with me all this time_

 _I hear these people asking me_

 _How do I know what I believe_

 _Well, I'm not the same me, and that's all the proof I need_

 _I felt love, I felt your grace_

 _You stole my heart that day_

 _(Ooh, oh, oohh)_

 _Oh woah_

 _(Ooh, oh, oohh)_

 _You've been walking with me all this time_

 _All this time, from the first tear cried_

 _To today's sunrise, and every single moment between_

 _You were there, You were always there_

 _It was You and I_

 _You've been walking with me all this time_

 _Ever since the first tear cried_

 _It was You, You and I_

 _You've been walking with me all this time (x2)_

By the end of the song, Lexie's eyes were full of unshed tears. There had been many people singing along and many seemed touched.

Mark agreed nonetheless, that it was a beautiful song. He and a bunch of others clapped appropriately and waited until Lexie was done gathering herself on stage.

She turned back towards the audience and gave a small smile before continuing on.

"That song has always been one of my very favorites growing up. My mother would sing it to me before I went to bed and since then, it's been stuck in my head." She took a deep breath. "You know during this week, things happened that made me question not just myself, but God too. I won't get into details about it but basically it had to do with an obstacle from my past. And it's something that's better off left there."

"I remember after all was said and done, after this certain situation had taken place - I remember being on my way home and asking God "Why? Why me?" Y'know? I was confused and hurt, and I felt like for some reason something that I had done made my Heavenly Father want to punish me and make me suffer. It's like everything I worked so hard to move past and overcome was coming back to remind me of all the terrible things that happened, and it sucked. Because it's like, here you are trying to make the best out of a horrible situation and once you find some good ground, everything gets ripped out from right under you. Everything you've worked towards, gone. Every wall you've built, down."

"I started questioning my faith in God. I wondered "God, if You _are_ real, why would you allow me to go through that again?" And that's a question that many people ask daily. "If God is real, why does he allow so much suffering?" or "How can I believe in Him when so many bad things are happening?" And the answer to that is, I'm not sure. For us, there are so many questions but not enough answers. But what I learned it, our option is to waste or experience or realize God's purpose in the midst of suffering. Through suffering we can learn patience, self-discipline, trust, and many other virtues. When we suffer, we can experience the love, compassion, and self denial of those who help us. Not all pain is bad in the moral sense. God created us with nerve endings that use pain to protect us. Pain keeps us from burning our hands in a campfire, bending our legs back until the joint breaks, neglecting nourishment until we starve, etc. Suffering can also be a direct, just consequence of our own actions. Our sense of justice says that it is good when an exploiter loses his friends, even though loneliness is painful. It is good when a mugger is locked up, even though he suffers the loss of his freedom. All humans have a moral conscience, even corrupted by sin and often ignored. Our conscience should not rejoice in sin, suffering, and death. When we see innocents suffering, we should experience moral outrage and seek to rescue the sufferer. When we see someone suffer death, we should experience loss and sorrow. Sin, suffering, and death are not the destinies for which God created us. He created us to enjoy perfect, good, loving fellowship with Him for eternity. Despite our moral betrayal, He continues to offer eternal life."

"So despite what has happened and what is about to happen, I have to keep in mind that even when things don't go as planned, that God was the only one. The only one who was with me on my darkest days, the only one who loved me when I couldn't love myself. He was there all the while."

...

The service soon ended and the four of them went out to lunch. Mark seemed to notice Lexie was in a much better mood than the one she had been in the past week. She was smiling more and it was obvious she was enjoying herself.

The four of them decided on eating at Mashiko, which was a hot spot for sustainable sushi, also Mark's favorite.

Once they were seated, they took their seats and began looking over the menus. Meredith and Derek on one side, Lexie and Mark on the other. After ordering, Meredith and Lexie were having their own conversation which Derek and Mark off-handedly made side comment, earning them a few playful slaps and glares.

The food came soon enough and before they knew it, they were on their way home.

After getting back, Mark and Lexie changed into their PJs before turning on Netflix and flopping onto the couch. Lexie had on Mark's black sweatpants (because she insisted it was more comfortable) and a white tank, while Mark was using his gray sweats and black shirt. Meredith and Derek were out grocery shopping.

Much to Lexie's dismay, they ended up watching a movie that had too many fight scenes and blowups to her liking. Mark on the other hand was completely in awe.

Lexie was unconciously starting to curl up again him and entangled their legs together. They were sitting up with Mark's hand laying lazily on the back of the couch, and Lexie curled up under his armpit. She wrapped her arms around his torso and laid her head on his chest, draping her legs on his lap. She looked comfortable, so Mark grabbed the white comforter she had brought down earlier and draped it over them. He turned off the lamp that was on the side table and turned down the volume on the huge plasma flat screen. He cuddled up next to her and they drifted off to sleep.

Anyone who walked in on them would've thought they were a couple.


	8. Chapter 8

**It's been quite a while, eh? Hope I still have your folks attention, enjoy. :)**

A month passed since the incident and Mark and Lexie's friendship was better than ever. She never completely came clean about the feelings she harbored about her situation with George but Mark never seemed to mind. Since that church service, things began looking up for the both of them. Lexie was much happier and seemed to be enjoying herself more than before, and Mark was just playing the bestfriend role.

She never knew but his feelings were her continued to grow. Still, Mark hadn't ever been with any women since meeting her and buried himself in his work. If he wasn't at work, he was at home relaxing with Lexie, or simply just getting on her nerves. Jokingly, she never minded.

Things at the hospital were going well, too. After a while, George seemed to let up on the fact that Lexie was probably never going to speak to him again and more than likely never would want anything to do with him. After Meredith's outburst in front of half the nursing staff, George accquainted a reputation of the pig he was. Many women distanced themselves and didn't seem attracted as they once were. Before, he had them on their hands and knees to get in bed with him. Now, they would whisper horrible remarks and diss him publicly, all of which he deserved.

Much to Mark's dismay, Lexie was leaning more towards Neuro meaning she spent quite some time on Derek's service. He would often tease her on how she'd only have the brain, while he got the breasts and noses mostly. She'd playfully hit him and they'd get into a full blown rant on which specialty was better. Most of the time, Lexie won and that was never a surprise because he'd let her.

Thanksgiving was coming up and Meredith had a panic attack when she heard of Derek's family coming down to visit. His mother, sisters, nieces, and nephews were to have dinner at their house and to say Mer was worried was an understatement. It wasn't that she didn't like his family, of course not. It was more of the fact that she felt uncomfortable. She never had that familial atmosphere, and she never engaged in that type of bonding. Thankfully, she had Lexie now. And that was the best family she could ask for.

As for the sisters relationship, they grew extremely close. Along with Mark and Derek, the four of them were eachother's little family. Everyone was very open with each other and they went on double dates more often than not. Only for Lexie, she didn't know and didn't count them as dates. She called them "family outings".

When the Shepherds arrived for Thanksgiving dinner, it was quite a surprise. Derek's eldest sister, Nancy, had brought her husband Josh and her three kids ; Mary-Louise, Parker, and Jadelynn. Lizzie, his second oldest, came in with her husband Travis and their son Michael. While his baby sister, Amelia, brought along her long-term boyfriend, Owen. He too worked at Seattle Grace as a trauma surgeon. He was exceptionally good at his job and the family approved of him very much.

After Carolyn's death, the family wasn't sure they would ever find themselves again. Mark, who was like her very own, took it extremely hard. Harder than the rest. But with the pain came the willingness to find themselves and that's exactly what happened.

"How do I look?" Lexie asked. She was upstairs finishing getting ready when Mark walked past the bathroom she was occupying. She was wearing a cremè off the shoulder sweater and denim skinny jeans, paired with dark brown uggs and a brown scarf. Her hair was thrown in a messy bun that somehow looked near perfection, while her face was filled out with a soft make up look. She added little turkey stud earrings that Mark found hilarious. She did a little twirl to insinuate just how good she looked.

"Amazing, Lex. Seriously." he complimented her. If only she knew just how amazing..he thought to himself.

When they walked downstairs, the table was set with the caramel scented candles in the middle. Derek had taken out some pull out tables from the garage, while Meredith had decorated them with festive tablecloths and what not. Lexie had done all the cooking and Mark had went in to the hospital for an emergency surgery. When he arrived back at home though, he helped with whatever he could.

Derek called out that dinner was ready and everyone best take their seats. Derek sat next to Meredith who sat across from Lexie who sat next to Mark. The rest of the Shepherds convieniently found themselves gathering around the table.

Lexie was getting along extremely well with Amelia, and she was in the middle of a funny story about her and Mark before Nancy threw an off handed comment at her.

"Well, you and Mark are quite the duo, huh?"

Lexie noticed the sarcasm in her voice and smiled back. "He's basically my bestfriend, yeah."

"Ha, bestfriend hm?" she sneered, "Mark and I were bestfriends too..and then he tried getting into my pants.."

"Nanc.." Amelia reprimanded.

"..and I let him." the older Shepherd stated.

Mark dropped his fork and picked up his glass of red wine. "That was a long time ago, Nancy, drop it."

"Oh c'mon Mark. You've slept with all of us sisters at one point."

He nearly grunted while the rest of the table had gotten quiet, especially Lexie. But Nancy didn't care, she continued on.

"Mark is the type of friend to comfort you and be there for you during the worst, only to take advantage of you when you're vulnerable as hell, isn't that right, Marky?"

"It's different." he stated, getting extremely angry, "I'm different."

Nancy let out an unamused laugh. "Different, I've heard that one before."

For the next five minutes, she went on and on of her and Mark's sexcapades, not giving a damn that her husband and children were surrounded. She wanted to get under Lexie's skin, but it wasn't working. Lexie was rather amused by the eldest sibling, hysterically laughing in her mind of what a fool this woman was making herself out to be.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Mark shouted, finally slamming his hands down and giving her a death glare.

"Just for your information, I no longer sleep around or fool around. Just because you and I had a run, doesn't mean a damn thing. Lexie is my friend. What Lexie and I do doesn't concern you so why don't you just shut the hell up? My old ways are in the past, you're in the past, everything is in the past, so why can't you just leave it there, Nanc? Hm?" And with that, he walked out of the house and slammed the door.

A few seconds later, Amelia walked outside to find Mark on the porch sitting on the swingset.

"You're in love with her."

"What?" he turned around to see who the voice belonged to. When he noticed who it was, his shook his head in disbelief.

"You love her."

"No, I'm not. I don't do love."

"You don't even know who I'm talking about." Amelia laughed.

Mark let out a scoff. "It sure as hell ain't Nancy."

The youngest Shepherd laughed. "Lexie. You feel something for Lexie."

"Of course I do, she's my friend."

"No", she shook her head, "you love her. You're in love with her."

Mark looked at her. "I don't do love."

"With this girl, you do."

The pair was quiet for a few minutes before Amelia opened her mouth again.

"Does she know how you feel?"

He shook his head.

"Well, maybe you should tell her."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because the way she was talking to me about you tonight, I can tell there's something there."

"Really? You think so?" Mark asked, full of hope.

Amelia smiled, "I know so."

Mark smiled and stood up to hug her. Before he walked back in the house, he turned back around. "How'd you know?"

She shrugged. "You were so adamant on getting the point across that you've changed..that's what we do for the people we love. Especially if it's in their best interest." Amelia walked towards the door and turned the door knob, holding it open for him, "Go get the girl."

...

After walking back inside to a less tension filled atmosphere, everyone helped clean and packed their personal belongings. Mark and Lexie still hadn't spoken to eachother since the dinner.

The Shepherds bid their goodbyes, but not before Amelia stopped Mark one last time.

"Hey Sloan, next time Owen and I come down, I better see you and my new bff all lovey dovey."

Mark chuckled, "New bff, huh?"

"Oh yeah.." Amelia dragged on, "I like this one."

With that, she winked, hugged him goodbye, and went on her way.

Mark smiled and shook his head, carrying the dishes into the kitchen. There, he seen Lexie cleaning up and whatnot. When she heard him come in, she gave him a timid smile and went back to bagging the leftovers.

"Hey." he breathed.

"Hey.." she replied.

"We need to talk, about tonight.." he began.

"No, I don't want to hear it." she cut him off. It seemed as if she was mad at him.

"Lex.."

"Whatever you did before, is behind you. It's behind us. I won't let it get in the way of our friendship."

Catching him completely offguard, Mark's eyes widened. But not before he caught the word "friendship" come out of her mouth, and he sighed.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about..our friendship."

"What about?" she asked, full of curiosity.

Mark froze and his mind went completely blank. He could either flat out completely spill his heart out to her, or he could lie and cover up his feelings once again. He was really leaning towards the latter.

"I...um..."

Lexie waited patiently.

"I...I..."

"...Mark?"

He sucked in a deep breath.

"Do you wanna go out on a date with me?"

Lexie's eyes widened and her jaw hung open slightly. A few minutes passed before Mark started apologizing and began regretting his decision.

"No no no, it's okay." she told him.

"I'm sorry, it was completely out of line and I-"

She smiled and hugged him. "I'd love to go on a date with you, Mark."

 **Kinda rushed, eh? What'd you think? 10 reviews for the next chapter? :)**


	9. Chapter 9

A/N at the end of the fic, please read.

"I'd love to go on a date with you, Mark."

Mark found himself stopping mid-way through his regretting speech. His lips turned upward into a genuine smile.

"When is the next time you have off?"

Lexie looked up for a minute, thinking.

"I'm not sure, but I'll ask once we get back to the hospital." Mark chuckled before pulling her into a hug. She giggled and locked her arms behind his back.

"You know there's no guarantee we'll be off at the same time."

"What makes you say that?" Mark questioned.

"Because you're an attending and I'm an intern, and our lives revolve around Seattle Grace Hospital."

Mark laughed and Lexie felt the vibration of his chest against his cheek. They were still in a tight embrace.

He pulled away first when he remembered they still needed to clean up after their nights "festivities" if you could even call it that. It was seriously a gathering from Hell, hence the reason Satan's Spawn, as Lexie liked to refer Nancy to from now on, had attended.

She and Mark spent the rest of night washing dishes while Meredith and Derek went to clean the rooms and did laundry.

Before going to bed that night, Mark had decided that he'd try his hardest to take Lexie out tomorrow night. Much to his appreciation, she agreed and pecked him on the cheek before bidding him a "good-night" and disappearing into her room.

...

It was Friday the next day and the hospital was slammed. There were multiple fatalities due to a four-car accident that left two dead, one paralyzed, and the other in critical condition. A five year old boy was left when it made news that his parents were the two who had died. Lexie was the one who had to notify Child Protected Services and it broke her heart to know this little boy was never going to grow up with his parents.

Mark on the other hand was stuck in the operating room all day. His victim was a twenty-two year old female who was the sole cause of the crash. She was the one that came in critical condition. Apparently, she had fallen asleep behind the wheel and crashed into a car in the opposite lane.

While he finished up on the woman, all he thought about was his date tonight with Lexie. He was excited to say the least and couldn't wait to see her. He hadn't crossed paths with her all day except when they car-pooled to the hospital together. They had stopped at Starbucks and then were on their way.

Just as he was about to ask his intern Jackson to finish up, Lexie came rushing into the OR.

"Is this Melissa Duncan?"

It was obvious she was running due to her panting and short of breath.

Mark checked the clipboard and looked up. "It is, why?"

Before he knew it, Lexie rushed up in anger and began yelling.

"She's a killer! A god damned _murderer_!"

Mark held her back despite her her crazy antics.

"Lex, Lex, calm down!"

"No, I will not calm down! There's a little boy outside crying and asking me why his mommy and daddy aren't here, and what do you expect me to tell him, Mark?! That some selfish son of a bitch decided she couldn't wait five minutes to get to her house to sleep safely before running his family off the road?! He doesn't deserve that, Mark! That woman in there took away the only two people in his life, the two most important people in his life so don't you dare tell me I need to calm down!"

He remained silent as everyone else in the OR did as well. As soon as he let her words sink in, he knew that this was more of a personal matter. With Lexie still wrapped securely in an embrace, he turned to his staff.

"I don't wanna hear about any of this, understand? You will take Ms. Duncan up to recovery and go on about your lives. If this gets back to the chief, I'll have **all** your asses, understood?"

No one dared to disagree and they all quickly but carefully shuffled out with Melissa passed out on her gurney.

Lexie was still sniffling when he pulled back to take a look at her. Her sobs were so heartbreaking to hear, Mark thought it was best to take her home for the night. So he sent her off into the intern room to change while he talked to Richard on the side.

"Look, Webber, it's been a hard day and a certain situation just hit close to home for her. The least I could do is take her home.."

The Chief of Surgery looked at him with a unreadble expression until he nodded. "I understand, Sloan. Do what you gotta do."

Mark bowed his head once before walking away and it was then that he remembered something he forgot to ask.

"Since I'm gonna be taking her home, I'd rather not leave her alone..Like I said, it's been a rough day for her and-"

"And like I said, do what you gotta do, Sloan. Consider both you and Dr. Grey excused for the rest of the day." Webber cut him off before disappearing back into his office.

Mark texted Lexie to make sure she was set and ready to go, then made his way into the hospital parking lot.

...

The drive home was filled with a pregnant silence. Mark had asked her numerous of times if she had wanted to grab take-out for dinner or if she needed anything but Lexie simply shook her head and perered through the car window. It was obvious she didn't wanna talk, so Mark didn't push.

However, when they first walked into the house she asked if he'd be willing to watch a movie with her. Not one to turn down a beautiful girl, he told her to meet him on the couch while he whipped up a quick and easy dinner.

Fifteen minutes later he came in with two plates of chicken alfredo while Lexie was flipping through Netflix.

"I'm so indecisive about what to watch."

"Well, what are your choices?" he questioned.

"The Best of Me, Beyond the Lights, and Listen to Your Heart."

"Wow, all chick flicks, hm?"

"Well _of course_ , what else did you expect." She gave him a genuine smile and he noticed that her mood had brightened up within the past half hour.

He gave her the plate and she immediately dug in.

"This smells so delish, thank you Mark!" She used her fork and began demolishing her dinner. He laughed at how fast she finished her whole plate.

"So much for not being hungry, hm?" He joked and he slowly slurped his noodles and sauce.

Lexie smiled shyly and looked down. "About that...I'm so sorry. I-I freaked out and I-"

Mark set his plate down and gently took her hand in his. "I get it, Lex. You were under a lot of stress with today's activities and it just happened."

"It's not only that, Mark...you need to understand there's more to the story."

He intwined their fingers and pulled her in close. "I don't want to upset you, but I don't want to lie either. When I first met you, Derek shared with me what happened and the things you went through. You're allowed to show weakness once in a while, Lex. You're allowed to not "feel fine" all the time. You're human, you're not perfect and honestly, I don't expect you to be."

They both knew what he was talking about.

The night Thatcher had shot Susan stuck with Lexie in her head forever. It wasn't something she liked to remember but then again, it was hard to forget.

Lexie curled into him and rested her head in the crook of his neck. "Thank you for everything, bubs."

Mark smirked. " _Bubs_ , huh?"

He could feel her smile against his skin. "Yeah, that's my new nickname for you. Bubba, Bubs, whatever."

They laughed as they sat in a comfortable silence before Mark spoke up.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to our date."

She looked at him perplexed, "What do you mean?"

"I wanted to buy you flowers, take you out to a fancy resturant, drink expensive wine, the whole shabang." Mark frowned.

Lexie surprised herself and Mark when she caressed his neck and kissed his cheek.

"Just being with you is enough. Now, help me pick a movie!"

He laughed as she grabbed the throw blanket that was hanging off the couch and threw it over their legs.

"I vote all three." He decided.

Lexie looked up at him and smiled. "We're in for a long night, mister."

He kissed her head before lazily throwing his arm around the back of her and the couch.

"Lex, you sure this is okay? Just staying in and watching movies?"

"Of course, why wouldn't it be?" she wondered.

Mark shrugged. "Even if it's in our stink hospital clothes?"

Lexie laid her head on his chest and started the movie. "Even if it's in our sink hospital clothes."

 **A/N : Woah, it's been a while, hm? I bet you all were thinking it was gonna be a cliché date..sorry to disappoint. Anyway, the whole purpose of this is to clear out any misleading ideas you may have:**

 **Number 1) Like I said when I first started writing FanFiction, I will finish all my stories. Never will you find one of my fics unfinished. Even if it may take a while, please know I would never leave you guys hanging like that because I myself hate when authors do that.**

 **Number 2) I don't have a set date/time when I tend to update. I guess it's whenever I finish the chapter(s) so please don't blow up my inbox with death threats and insults as to when or how I update.**

 **Number 3) I've come to accept that even if my story doesn't go noticed, I love writing, so the amount of reviews or views I get shouldn't matter.**

 **And lastly, Number 4) Please be respectful and try to understand that I do have other things going on in my life at the moment that had caused me to not be as active as I hoped.**

 **Thank you for being the most amazing, loving, caring, kind, and understanding readers out there. I love you all to the moon and back, and I hope you enjoy.**

 **Til' next time, XO.**


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